**Some spicy language!**

As the days passed we were able to fall into a nice routine while trying to figure out how to get rid of Frank without killing Maddilyn.

As we continued our nightly observations, a sudden rustling noise outside broke the silence, causing both Scott and me to tense. We exchanged a quick glance before cautiously pulling back the curtain just enough to peer outside.

In the darkness, a figure emerged from the shadows, moving with purpose towards the house. My heart quickened as I recognized the silhouette—it was Maddy.

"She's here," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the pounding of my own heart.

Scott's jaw clenched as he processed the sight before us. "Alright, let's stick to the plan," he said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.

We retreated from the window and quickly made our way to the makeshift arsenal we had assembled earlier. Silver restraints, makeshift stakes infused with herbs, and religious symbols lay before us, ready to be deployed.

"I'm actually kind of nervous," I admitted. "I've never in my extremely long life ever dealt with anything close to this. What if we do end up having to kill her?"

Scott kissed the side of my head as he picked up a stake. "We're going to do everything that we can to not do that."

The minutes stretched on, each one feeling like an eternity as we braced ourselves for the inevitable confrontation.

Without warning, the front door burst open, and Maddy stood framed in the doorway, her eyes gleaming with an otherworldly hunger. Instinctively, I reached for the nearest weapon—a silver-infused stake—as Scott stood by my side, ready to defend against whatever might come our way.

"Cassidy," Maddy hissed, her voice a chilling echo of the friend I once knew. "You cannot hide from me. I can smell you."

I swallowed hard, steeling myself against the onslaught of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. "Maddy, please," I pleaded, my voice trembling with desperation. "We don't have to do this. We can find another way."

But she only laughed—a hollow, chilling sound. "There is no other way, Cassidy. You know what I am now. You know what I crave. And you know I have to listen to my Sire."

With a sudden burst of speed, she lunged towards us, her fangs bared and claws outstretched. In that moment, time seemed to slow as Scott and I sprang into action, wielding our weapons with precision and determination.

The air crackled with tension as our weapons clashed against Maddilyn's supernatural strength, each blow fueled by a desperate resolve to save not only ourselves but also the friend we had lost to the darkness.

And as the battle raged on, I heard a loud awoo as Joe charged into the room. He bit at Maddy's ankles and calves as she fought Scott and me.

"What the hell is that?" she bent down to pick up Joe.

I flitted across the room, striking across her face with my nails before she managed to pick up my baby werewolf.

"Do not touch my baby."

"It's ugly," she grunted striking back.

"Have you looked in a mirror recently? Vampirism hasn't been kind to you." I wrapped my arms around her waist and flitted through the window, shattering glass everywhere.

Scott jumped through the hole and plunged a stake into her shoulder, pinning her to the porch. She let out an ear piercing shriek and I plunged a second one into her other shoulder. 

"That hurts, you bitch!" she wailed.

"It's supposed to."

"Why can't I move!"

"Garlic infused stakes. Not enough to kill you and not near your heart, but enough to incapacitate you until we figure out how the hell to deal with you and fucking Frank." I stood and paced around.

"What do we do now?" Scott asked.

"Well we can't take the stakes out, so we tear up the floor boards and take whole damn porch with us."

"We're taking her? Won't that be dangerous?"

"It'll draw Frank out. He won't want one of his minions dead. Especially one that he knows will hurt me if something happens to her."

"Alright, then lets rip up this porch."

"He's going to kill you!" she hissed and spat at us.

"You act worse than my damn cat," I grumbled, breaking the board above her head.

Scott broke the board next to her body and pulled her up, still pinned to the remaining parts.

I went inside to get Joe and Socks while Scott dragged a kicking and screaming Maddilyn to the car.

"Where do I put her?"

"I don't want to listen to her. Stick her in the trunk," I muttered opening the back door for Socks and Joe.

"You're sticking me in the trunk while the animals get put into the backseat?"

"Yes, Maddily. I don't want to listen to you right now. I'm not going to be particularly nice to you until I can kill Frank. When I kill Frank and you're at least not such a raging bitch, we will resume our friendship. For now, that is on hold."

With Maddilyn securely stowed in the trunk, Scott and I piled into the car, the tension thick in the air. As we drove away from the house, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease gnawing at the pit of my stomach.

She yelled and kicked away at the trunk lid as we drove down the street.

"I really thought those damn stakes would do a better job."

"Not enough garlic?" Scott asked.

I sighed heavily. "I didn't want to kill her."

"We need to find a safe place to keep her until we figure out our next move," Scott said, his voice low and tense.

I nodded in agreement, my mind racing with possibilities. "We could take her to the old abandoned warehouse where they first took you. It's secluded enough that we won't draw attention, and it should be secure enough to keep her contained, and Frank already knows about it."

Scott glanced at me, a hint of concern flickering in his eyes. "I don't like that place."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I mean, I'm not scared. I'm not sure what I feel really."

"That's normal," I said. "It'll probably take some time to get used to all of this."

"How long?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "You have all eternity to figure that out."

Scott nodded, his expression grim. "Alright, let's head to the warehouse."

As we drove through the deserted streets, the weight of our predicament hung heavy in the air. Maddilyn's muffled protests from the trunk served as a constant reminder of the dangerous game we were playing.

When we finally arrived at the warehouse, I directed Scott to a secluded corner where we could safely unload Maddilyn without attracting unwanted attention. With cautious precision, we opened the trunk and carefully extracted her, ensuring that she remained securely bound by the garlic-infused stakes.

Maddilyn glared at us with venomous hatred, her eyes blazing with a feral intensity that sent shivers down my spine. But despite her protests, we remained resolute, determined to do whatever it took to keep her contained until we could find a way to break the hold that Frank had over her.

As we left Maddilyn in the cold, dark confines of the warehouse, I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt tugging at my heart. She was still my friend, despite the darkness that now consumed her, and it pained me to see her reduced to this.

"Now what?" Scott asked.

"I guess we wait."